He was Alberto Salazar’s assistant coach, but now Steve Magness has decided to take his expertise elsewhere.

According to a report filed by RunBlogRun’s Jon Gugala, Magness, who is 27, had been helping coach the likes of Dathan Ritzenhein, Galen Rupp and Mo Farah. But he now says it’s time to do something else.

“You know, it was just one of those timing things,” Magness said. “I went through the latter half of this Olympic cycle. I got to experience worlds [world championships] and then what it’s like going into the [U.S. Olympic team] trials. I felt like it was a good time to venture on and go.”

Shortly after the Occidental High Performance Meet in May, Magness sat down with Salazar and discussed the fact that his two-year contract was coming up.

“We both mutually decided hey, this is the way we want to go,” Magness admitted. “He’s been supportive, and I’m thankful of my time here.”

****

For more Competitor.com coverage of the Nike Oregon Project, click here.